RCM Wins 2007 Seatrade Award
25 May 2007
RCM Marine has won the coveted Seatrade "New IT Applications for the Shipping Industry" award. The award was given for the RCM 'Voyager' condition-based machinery monitoring system.
Chosen by the industry as a nominee, and selected as a winner by a prestigious panel of judges from the shipping world, the award is recognition of three years' development by a dedicated team at the Warrington and Southampton-based operation.
RCM Voyager is the first system to provide real time, exception-based condition monitoring for marine machinery combined with cutting-edge satellite communications.
The system was primarily designed to monitor operational and safety critical machinery, such as turbochargers and cargo machinery. Working on a 24/7 basis, the system gives early warning of impending failure (sometimes weeks in advance), allowing the operator to (a) avoid breakdown and its attendant costs, and (b) choose a strategic interval to stop the vessel to carry out essential maintenance if required.
Simplicity is the key to the Voyager, with clear plain language messages detailing exactly what is wrong and where (for example "ALARM – Stbd Turbocharger turbine side bearing fault" or "ALARM – Rotor Imbalance"), giving clear indication to the crew to take timely action. At the same time a coded message is simultaneously transmitted via a simple D+ satellite link to the Purplefinder® system and can be displayed in the owner's office (or supts home) on a web-based vessel-tracking system.
Oil Majors and owners from the UK, Norway, Netherlands, Cyprus, Germany, Singapore and the Middle East now have the system fitted, and many more from around the world are expressing interest.
